1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to safety accessories; and more particularly to a bed safety guard having an improved construction operative to provide additional guarding protection lengthwise of the bed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various bed guards are disclosed in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 329,663 to McMurray, for instance, discloses a bed guard with attached slats that extend partially under the mattress. The slat is attached to a guard rail by means of a hinge. For convenience, the guard is removable; but a child could push the rail away, since it is kept in place solely by friction. U.S. Pat. No. 1,066,976 to Atkinson discloses a similar arrangement, but uses hooks attached to the bed springs. This solution, while addressing the previous problem, is impractical since bed springs are not generally exposed. Each of U.S. Pat. No. 2,722,017 to Burst, et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 3,179,957 to Norton discloses a side guard for a hospital bed. Such side guards are permanent, non-removable fixtures specifically designed for a hospital bed; they protect less than half the bed""s length. U.S. Pat. No. 2,751,608 to Lucas discloses hide away bed gates. These gates are removable. They protect less than half the bed""s length and are therefore inadequate for protecting children and infants. U.S. Pat. No. 2,904,799 to Berlin discloses a tubular bed guard. The guard is removable and can be readily pushed away by a child, since it is kept in place solely by friction. U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,067 to Bernstein, et al. discloses a bed guard adapted to be placed partially under the mattress, and is subject to being pushed away.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,785 to Petrus discloses a confining device couch converter which converts a seat cushion of a couch into a confining device for a resting baby. The Petrus device is not said to be suitable for use with a bed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,640,726 to Fichner-Rathus discloses a complex bed guard system having telescoping members and lockable and pivoting apparatus adapted to place the device in various configurations, including xe2x80x9cHxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cSxe2x80x9d configurations. The Ficher-Rathus device is confronted with significant construction and operational problems. Such problems can be attributed to (i) required adjustments (which may be overlooked or incorrectly made when transforming the device between the xe2x80x9cHxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cSxe2x80x9d configurations); (ii) use of hinges and wing nuts (which can injure bed occupants, and mar the bed frame); and (iii) flexible joints (which can occasion transverse movement of the bed rail). Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,134,731 to Thom, et al. discloses a bed guard that requires more that one device to protect a single side of a bed.
There is a need in the art for an inexpensive bed guard that is inexpensive to construct, can be readily installed and removed, and reliably prevents sleeping infants and children from falling off the bed.
The present invention provides a bed safety guard having an improved construction operative to provide additional guarding protection lengthwise of the bed. Means are provided for securing the side support, or guard rail, to prevent it from being dislodged or pushed out and away from the bed by the bed""s occupant. In one embodiment of the invention, the support system comprises a plurality of one-piece, unitary slats extending from the bed rail transversely across substantially the entire width of the box spring. The slats are bent at their terminal ends to create fixed, substantially right angles with slat sections approximately three to four inches long, which cooperate with the side of the box spring to secure the support system and prevent transverse movement of the bed rail.
Generally stated, the invention provides a bed safety guard for preventing a person from falling out of bed. The bed safety guard comprises a guard rail positioned along one side of a mattress of the bed, and a plurality of slats. Each slat is bent at its terminal end to create a first and second terminal end. These ends are fixed and substantially at right angles with slat sections which are distributed underneath and perpendicular to the mattress, and over the box spring. A means is provided for attaching the guard rail to the slats. In this manner, the first and the second terminal ends cooperate with the mattress to securely hold the guard rail in place along the side of the mattress.
Preferably, the guard rail is comprised of a rigid plank covered with a padded covering. Optionally, a second guard rail, positioned on the opposite side of the mattress, operates to prevent an occupant from falling off the opposite side of the bed.
Specifically, the present invention provides, in combination, a bed safety guard structure wherein (i) a plurality of one-piece, unitary slats extend from the bed rail transversely across substantially the entire width of the box spring; and (ii) each of the slats is bent at a terminal end thereof to form a fixed, substantially xe2x80x9crightxe2x80x9d angle, thereby creating slat sections, which cooperate with the side of the mattress to reliably secure the support system and prevent transverse movement of the bed rail.
The bed safety guard of this invention is inexpensive to make. It is easily removed and reinstalled without having to be bolted or otherwise permanently fastened to the bed frame. Once installed, the bed safety guard reliably prevents those sleeping from falling off the bed.